Wild Mountain Thyme

Figured it was time to make a writing blog.

[wildmtthyme]

(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ Pinned Post Master List ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)

Fics featuring the wonderful dudes from Call of Duty can be found here.

Fics featuring the awesome characters from the Game of Thrones TV series can be found here.

All the other miscellaneous fics can be found here. :D

[hardwrench]

to me, correctly using 5+ commas in a single sentence is like perfectly executing a combo in a fighting game. to me.

[little-theatre-fairy]

if you think a sentence needs 5+ commas it should be two sentences

[hardwrench]

it’s not about what the sentence needs, i’m afraid, nor is it about economy, clarity, or style. it’s about winning, little-theatre-fairy.

[startedwellthatsentence]

Comment on my MA thesis:

[wildmtthyme]

After the Long Night | 25 Chapters | AO3 Posting

Stark Wolf Sanctuary | 12 Chapters | AO3 Posting

Sheets | 2 Chapters | AO3 Posting

A Tale of Two Brothers | 23 Chapters | AO3 Posting

Soul Bound | 8 Chapters | AO3 Posting

[wildmtthyme]

Soul Bound Complete | 8 Chapters [18,274 words]

Summary:

-Soul-bonds were… exceedingly rare. Soul-mates were relatively common… though he’d always thought it to be a little shitty. One person matched to that one but that one is matched to that one and so on and bah! But Soul-bound people? They were matched in this life and the next… and the last for that matter. Forever. This little bird was his… in every lifetime. And he was hers.- Or Sandor and Sansa have been bound since the beginning of time though they are just now meeting in this lifetime. Sandor handles it in true Sandor fashion. He has to learn to trust that Sansa means what she says even if a King has to force the issue.

Notes:

So, it's a trope that has been beat to death but I don't care. I love me a happy ending and a love story. Plus the whole soul mate/soul bound/soul bond thing. Why not right? And we know how writing ideas are, they don't leave you alone until they are out and about. There are 18+ themes (duh) and eventual full on sex between the two mains. Obviously. So, enjoy. Also, also - I write all of my stories in Word and then c/p them over here. Just... putting that out there. 👍

AO3 Link to start of the story.

Navigational Link to Chapter Index.

[wildmtthyme]

Upcoming GoT world fics. Soul Bond is like 99% done. The Golden Lie is the same. I'll Stand Sentry is about 90% and All My Life is about 80% done.

[wildmtthyme]

Upcoming TWD world fics. When? Don't... that's not important! Okay! Like, just look at the headers. That means they're almost done.

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 10: Mates

Warnings: Okay, here goes. 18+. Alien on human sex. MDNI.

Chapter Notes: ❤.❤ [apparently this got stuck in the queue instead of being scheduled -_- but it's posted now... so... yeah.]

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 9 - Chapter 11 -> ⋇

A thousand questions and words, confessions, admissions – they all pressed against his tongue, vying for the chance to get out… so much so that he said nothing. He just pressed his brow to hers and purred louder. He shook his head slightly, as if he was denying something or… ignoring all others – he felt the slight tremor in his hands as he set them on her outer thighs… he ran them up almost roughly, feeling a tension settle between his shoulders. She wasn’t in season… but she was dangerously close and he could smell it. But that wasn’t what was driving his muscles to swell for her… that wasn’t what was making his hands grab onto her hips tight… and that wasn’t what made him nearly force his way between her knees. She welcomed him… but his moves were still firm and held a certain air of dominance. He felt her hands on his sides… her calloused fingers dancing up his ribs made a low trill leave him.

“I want to see my mark on your shoulder…” He confessed low. He knew she’d know what he meant… they’d had so many talks over so many hours of patrols and sleepless nights to pass the time. She exhaled a throaty breath and he caught wind of her budding arousal… that chemical signature in the air was a call his body was more than willing – was anxious to answer. He ran his brow along hers almost roughly, feeling his tusks slide down her jaw… until he was wrapping his mandibles around her neck only tight enough to hint at a hold… his hot breath huffing out against her skin before he ran his tongue over her pulse, feeling her heart hammering there. Her voice left her in a whisper for him… ah god, Dro’khar… he felt her hands slip into his fatigues on his hips… her blunt nails clawing at his hide… he growled a low, slow tenor, his cock pressing against his sheath.

His hands were between them and he didn’t bother with the small buttons on her shirt… he grabbed the fabric and jerked his hands outwards, hearing the small plastic disks hit the walls around them… she gasped for him… and he growled again. He wrapped an arm around her entirely, tugging her close. His cock slid free of his sheath in a single beat of his hearts when he felt her skin against his own… the warmth of her breasts pressed against his chest had his groin tighten… made him growl louder for her. He eased his mandibles free of her and moved his muzzle around, tasting her skin as he went… he felt the button of his fatigues tug… and the tension around his hips ease… he shifted his weight anxiously, suddenly desperate to be free of the offending article of clothing.

And he was not a few heartbeats later. He kicked the thick canvas off and as far as his mind was aware – it fell off the face of this planet. While he was a distance from her, he tugged her own fatigues down and off… growling in a certain amount of frustration over yet another article of clothing that had been revealed. “Too many layers…” He muttered against the skin of the back of her neck… she rewarded him with a chuckle. But… then she touched him. He felt her small palm against the underside of his cock and he nearly fell forward, his entire body tense and his sub-vocals kicked off all on their own… the deep rumble vibrated the space around them… and he had to slap a hand on the wall behind her cot lest he tumble them both back. He gasped sharply… his cock kicking against her touch… weeping opal slick for her. Like that, do you?

He couldn’t even speak! He nodded… his other hand grabbing onto her thigh, tugging her legs further apart… pushing her to spread them wider. Her scent was stronger… wafting in the air around them, it was a heady mix of her impending fertility… her arousal… and just her. Her… his beautiful, brave mate. He felt her stroke him slow, spreading his slick all over him and making him shiver in the best way possible. He growled low, his subs vibrating the floor… the deep rumble going through both of them… he pressed his brow against her harder… and tugged her closer. “Tell me you want this.” He breathed low, his tenor rough and broken by his desire. She gave him a small smile, one she did when she thought him being foolish. You should know that I do. You know me… better than anyone ever has. He chuffed low… and felt her wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him against her. He slid his hands around her back, feeling the pearls of her vertebrae under his fingers… she was so much smaller than him but she was fearless in a way he’d never be. He tested… felt the swollen head of his cock nudge at her… and when he felt her body part for him… his mandibles flared as he let out a rough curse.

He was mindful of his claws as he curled his fingers into his palms… his fists grabbing onto thick locks of her hair as he came upon her all at once, unable to stand it any longer. He slid into her smoother than he ever thought he could… as if she were made for him and he for her. Though, he was still much larger than her… his desires and hers both allowed for the action – it only seemed as thus. She let out this moan that stretched, her entire body wrapping around him as she let her head fall back, her throat bared to him… he bowed his head, wrapping his mandibles around her neck as he tongued her pulse point. His knees spread, his hips started to move in deep, steady arcs… swinging slow and purposeful as his hands spread, gripped and spread again… one sliding up to cradle her skull, his fingers tangling in her hair… his eyes were closed to the world – he couldn’t see it right now – not while he touched her, not while he felt her, not while he filled her – it was too much. He groaned deep, growled low, and purred softly all at the same time as he moved… as he felt her blessed body growing tighter around him. Dro’khar… ah god… please… please… he purred louder at her pleas.

“I’m going to take care of you, my mate…” He uttered the vow low against her skin, his hand sliding down to cup her rear and tug her against him as he thrust into her, feeling his cock stretch her… hitting all the right spots inside her, hearing her moan louder… feeling her paw at him, her hands diving into his tresses and holding on… the feeling of her gripping them made him trill deep, his subs thumping low as his hips snapped towards her, filling her sharply… she seemed to break apart right there in his arms. In a flash, her sex clinched tight around him before pulsing a rhythm that begged him to join her… he felt her orgasm work its way up and down his cock as he buried himself, rocking back and forth and grinding against her. He felt his sack pushing against her, held tight and hard as stones, desperate to empty… he drug his tusks down her neck and to her shoulder… he was so close, so damned close. Yes, please, Dro’khar, please. “Take all that I give you.” He growled the words roughly, withdrawing and thrusting back into her hard… he braced a hand on the rung of her cot… his thighs starting to tighten as he struck.

He sank his teeth into her shoulder, his tusks digging in… two in back, two in front… she cried out and he felt her sex flutter around him, felt her weep anew, soak him… he growled louder… and started moving in a way he hadn’t in so very long. A part of him was shocked that he was doing this… but most of him wasn’t. She was his mate in every way… and this… this he wanted with her. He wanted it all with her. And right now, on the cusp of her fertility… he wanted to seed her right. His dreads swayed, slapping against his back as the sound of his hide clapping against her filled the air… his heavy breaths leaving him sounded louder… her cries, moans, sharp yelps only spurred him to move faster, to drive deeper… he felt the twin channels that ran along the lower muscle of his cock starting to swell. He felt his cock reaching, felt his sack tensing… he was right there, right on the edge… and he knew she felt it. He felt her hand slide along his back… brushing the quills there that were starting to stand on end… it was a gentle, tender touch… and it made all his muscles give a very good tremor. He felt her other hand do the same on his shoulder and up to hold onto the back of his neck, caress him there… before he felt her snap tight around him again.

That did it… the feeling of her sex pulsing in that rhythm threw him over… he thrust in deep, his bite releasing as he threw his head back and let out a roar that shook the windows… coming hard and fast… he felt his seed rush out of him and pour into her… he ground against her slow, rocking every single drop free as he looked down at her… his dreads sliding over his shoulders as he kept moving… she was looking up at him with such… care… such reverence and tenderness… he purred deep… and felt his sack throb even more. “All for you, sweet one.” He breathed the words low… and pushed against her even more… feeling his cock kick again inside of her… she gasped when she felt that and he watched her take all of him. He felt her legs wrap around his waist… her thighs tighten around his hips and he didn’t need her to tell him. He grabbed onto her muscular rear and lifted, turned and sat on her cot… leaned back and let his shoulders rest against the wall… and held her there, let her weight settle on him… he spread his knees, his thighs parting… his mandibles flaring as he gasped for the sensation of her moving. She rolled her hips, the feeling of her changing… he held her around her waist and groaned, unashamed of how loud he was. All too soon, she was bracing her weight on his chest, her hips rocking back and forth, her rear bouncing up and down on him as he gripped her there… her slicked and full sex sliding on and off of him rapidly, coaxing them both to another mind-blowing orgasm.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 9 - Chapter 11 -> ⋇

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 11: Plans

Warnings: More sexy time. 18+ MDNI. Plus talks of the mating season and yada yada.

Chapter Notes: It's the final chapter, guys. I had had intention to write some more for this story but alas, new job and all. I hope to be able to come back to it and add that last final fight scene and maybe some HCs about Dro and the others. We'll see. Anywho! Here we go!

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 10 ⋇

Come dawn, they were laying on a pallet on the floor… desiring the closeness of one another and neither of their cots was wide enough to accommodate them both. They were facing each other, he had her tucked in against him… both watching their hands as they held them up… comparing them… yet caressing each other at the same time as they looked upwards. He’d seeded her properly… all night long, he’d kept his cock buried in her sweet body. He’d lost count of the orgasms they’d had… even now, he knew if he let himself, he could get hard for her again. What happens now? She whispered the words low and he purred softly.

“I want you to come with me.” He said the words quietly… and silence followed. Will it be allowed? He was quiet for a while before he spoke. “My sire took a human mate for a long time. But… he left Yautja-Prime to do so.” He said the words and felt her tense, her fingers lacing with his and holding onto him… he brought their hands back down between them, turning and grooming her tenderly with his tusks. “They had three pups together.” He said the words even quieter… and felt her go still. I don’t want you to be an exile from your people, Dro’khar. He heard the sadness in her voice and he shook his head slightly. “I won’t be. Things will be different after this war.” He already knew that Nu’anor had plans to ask Lewis to come with him. “I can’t be parted from you.” He breathed his weakness low. “I love you.” He felt her press her face into his chest, felt her hot breath there… and a press of her lips. I love you. I’ll come with you. Maybe you can show me some of those stars you’ve talked about. He purred louder and ran his hand down her body, cupping her rear firmly and pulling her tighter against him. “I will show you anything you desire.” And he meant it. “I want to share everything with you.” He heard her breath a smile… before she seemed to go still. Dro’khar?

He made a nondescript sound of questioning. Will you… I mean… I know you’re supposed to participate in… the whole… season thing when you get back… I just… can you like… not take me until that’s over? He blinked a few times before he shifted and pressed his brow against hers… staring into her slightly ashamed eyes… she was hiding the pain she’d feel if he went and mated with another. He smirked slightly and gripped her rear a little tighter. “I am participating in the mating season… or were you not paying attention?” His tone was light and teasing. She gave him a slight gasp, a mocking look of ire. So, you’re just trying to knock me up, great. She rolled her eyes and slapped at his hand on her rear when he reached further around, his fingers dipping between her legs. He growled suggestively and pushed his thigh between her legs, hauling her up into his lap in a certain fashion.

“Of course, I am.” He openly admitted. “You are my mate… and I’d sire as many pups off you as you’d let me.” He growled a few words and felt his groin starting to tighten at the prospect. “And don’t pretend that it doesn’t arouse you… the idea of me doing that to you…” He said the last few words against her neck as he leaned in, his tongue tracing her pulse… noting how it kicked up for him. “Of me coming so deep inside you that you feel the heat of my seed…” He was already starting to pant… his cock peeking out of his sheath. She let out a deep breath but pushed against his shoulder. I need rest, man! Rest! You can’t keep… keep… ah god… he growled low as he pushed his center finger between her folds, having reached from behind… feeling how wet and slick she was from their previous couplings and her renewed interest. He followed her part until he felt her clit beneath the pad of his finger… he massaged it slow, teasingly as he tongued her neck languidly. She moaned for him… and his cock slid free entirely, in one complete move, he was ready for her again.

Her scent was stronger now… and it made his quills shake for a heartbeat. “Paya…” He blasphemed on an exhale before he took in another deep breath and felt his cock tighten. “And you are… very ready to receive me.” What… he heard the question in her tone and he circled her clit faster, feeling her squirm because of it. “Last night, the scent wasn’t so strong… but this morning… Paya, Kaia… you’re fertile.” He growled the last word and felt all his muscles starting to swell. Ah god, Dro’khar… I don’t… I… oh god… he growled deeper than he had ever… and his subs hit octaves she couldn’t even hear! His cock felt like a rock, he was so hard. He’d never reacted this way… not to this extent. “I could be gentle before… but… ah, fuck… your scent is so… perfect… and…” Tell me. She gasped as she squirmed even more in his arms… he worked her slick sex even faster. “You’re my mate, Kaia… and you’re ready… and I want to fill you so badly… I don’t think I can be gentle this time.” She moaned and he felt her hold onto him tighter, pulling herself against him. Show me what you got, big guy. She managed the words and he growled again… he heard the tease there… and yet, the challenge. She came a second later, moaning loudly for him… her scent exploding around him. And his own musk filled the air again, it had been doing so all night but now… now it was potent.

Now, it held a certain air of warning in it. Because now… now he was intent. Before, he just wanted to feel her, show her his feelings… his love. Now… now it was another beast all together. He shifted, threw his thigh over her legs and pushed her onto her stomach as he climbed onto her… his hands gripped her hips and tugged her ass into the air. He quickly pushed her hair off her neck, his hands shaking… his mandibles grabbing onto the back of her neck a moment later. “Ah god… Kaia…” He moaned her name, unabashedly… he put a hand between them, cradled his cock… and guided himself to her wet and waiting part. He set himself… growling low… purring loudly… and rolled his hips forward, sliding into her entirely until he felt the swollen head of himself push against the end of her. Oh, fuck… Dro’khar… you’re so deep… so deep. He nodded slightly, his tusks scratching at her just a little… she moaned again as she pushed herself up onto her elbows… he ran his hands up her abdomen and grabbed onto her breasts tightly, his knees splitting before he started. He wasn’t slow and he wasn’t gentle. He was fast and hard, deep and firm… each time he filled her, he filled her entirely… each time he tried to go as deep as he could… and each time, he jarred her entire body with the force of his movements. See how powerful I am, his body said. See how well I can take care of you, it said. See how strong I am, how strong of a sire I will be, how strong our pups will be, it screamed for her.

When it struck him, it struck hard, his body trembling, his roar filling the air, his hands falling to claw at the meager padding beneath them. It was with shaky, nearly uncoordinated movements that he took them down to the blankets, settled just behind her and held her as he worked to calm himself. His purr rumbled but hitched as his breath caught. She was panting heavily, he could scent her sweat, hear her heart pounding, matching his own double tap in his chest. Ow. She croaked and he felt guilt prick at him. He rumbled a deeper purr and smoothed his hand over her lower abdomen, where he could still feel himself snug inside her. She chuckled but hissed shortly after. “I’ll get you a dose.” He murmured out, tusks plucking at her damp hair. She nodded, her hand covering his own. The moment turned… soft and intimate. He hadn’t meant to hurt her but he was reminded that she was so slight, so small in comparison to himself. But never weak. His proud mate. He nuzzled down into her hair, breathing her scent in deep. That’s how this started. She huffed out and he couldn’t help but chuff a chuckle.

His precious mate. His weakness. His hunting partner. He’d heal her and then he’d take her far from this cursed world of hers. He’d take her to the stars, show her such wonders. And Paya willing, she’d give him pups and he’d know the joy of his own, much smaller, much more private, clan. He started drifting to these thoughts and felt her nudge at him. Off. He hummed groggily and shifted, pulling away from her, hissing himself for the discomfort that leaving her body meant. She barely managed to climb to her feet… he watched as she gingerly made it to the door that led to the bathroom. He knew that if he dared to offer aid, she’d shoot him a lethal glare. He rolled onto his back, threading his hands over his chest and let out a heavy sigh of contentment. Never, in a million cycles, had he ever thought when he first arrived on this back-water planet… that he’d be where he was now. As content as he was now. As satisfied as he was now. His eyes fought to stay open, his mandibles going lax. You look comfortable. Her voice graced him and he chuffed, cracking an eye to peek at her. She was… so beautiful. He had a momentary wonder… questioning in his mind if his sire had felt such towards his human mate. He bet he had. He held an arm out to her and purred when she came to him, curled up against his side. She offered him his med kit and he made quick work of filling a small dose of healing serum for her. Just a boost to her natural healing. He’d manufactured it months ago for her and kept it alongside his own. When will we leave? “Soon.” He rumbled to her after he set it aside. She hummed and settled. Good. He nodded lazily. Yes… good. Soon, their life would begin. Together.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 10 ⋇

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 9: Goodbye

Warnings: Angst?

Chapter Notes: I had meant to write a final fight scene but I just started a new job so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 8 - Chapter 10 -> ⋇

Two years… five months… and seven whole days. That’s how long it had taken to completely clear the planet of the serpents. The battle had taken their unit from one continent to another… spanning the globe. And while many Yautja units had moved on from their human ones… Dro’khar’s did not. His unit had the highest efficacy rate of any on the entire planet… even his own sire’s. Even Taike’s. And in all that time, they’d only lost three members… two human and one hunter. It was because of their cohesiveness in battle that they were awarded special dispensation. They were transported from one landmass to the other via a clanship… all of them, together. High Command had awarded them this honor upon their individual requests. Apparently – he wasn’t the only one who thought they all fought well together. It had been a long time since they’d divided themselves into separate groups of human and Yautja… and he knew that many on both sides of that line thought their unit to be… odd. Even still… Kaia and himself were set apart.

Even though Nu’anor and Lewis shared a room or tent… he and Kaia often shared an entire building with no others. He still refused to allow anyone near her when she slept… and if he slept when she did – that made it him even more on edge. While they didn’t share a bed unless they had to… if they were camping out in the wilds… they did share a spot on the ground or in a tree, or beside one another in some fashion. Everyone knew better than to approach him until he’d woken entirely and everyone knew not to even remotely come near her once the sun had gone down. He’d overheard Was’ra telling Ro’han one night that he’d been ‘traumatized’ by what had happened… and though he’d outwardly deny it… he knew the male wasn’t wrong. The very idea that such a thing could even happen… let alone, happen to her? It stuck with him.

But now? Now, they were faced with a giant unknown. The war was over. Just like that, in a single night – their unit faced down a massive hive with ten other units… and they’d been victorious. Multiple planetary scans of various kinds of all different levels showed no other serpents anywhere. They’d done it. Finally. Many Yautja were excited for many reasons… many males were eager to take their trophy’s back to Yautja-Prime, to showcase their prowess… never before had there been such a war as this. And while he was happy that they’d won… now he was faced with a new problem. What… now? What did he do now?

He climbed out of the shower in the small house Kaia and he were sharing now… they were on a continent called South America now… and he was deep in thought. Kaia had been happy earlier but she’d been quiet since they’d returned. High Command wanted everyone back on Yautja-Prime as soon as possible. They’d sustained heavy losses and their thinking was that they needed to try and get every able-bodied male back in time for this year’s mating season… to start recouping their numbers. He… wasn’t as excited as he should be, he knew that. He also knew that Kaia had overheard the talk… and that was when she’d gotten quiet.

He was drying off with a threadbare towel as he remained deep in thought… how the hell was he going to do this, now? How… was he going to simply step back into his old life? How… the hell… was he just going to walk away from her? How could he sleep without hearing her steady breathing? He paused when he walked into the large open room that they used as their bedroom… the two beds that shared the same room. She was sitting on her narrow cot… her hands held in front of her chin, her eyes sort of glazed over. She took in a sharp breath when she heard him step into the room, a floorboard creaking beneath his weight. She looked at him and held her brows higher… offering up a small, kind of forced smile before gesturing to the label-less bottle of clear liquid sitting on the overturned box in front of her. In case we don’t get the chance… I figured we might as well have that drink now.

They’d talked about it well over a year ago. They didn’t drink alone together – not for any reason in particular other than they both felt it to be pathetic when people drank alone like that. But she’d tossed it out there to him that they’d share a drink when this was all said and done. Put their partnership to bed right, the words she’d used had made his hearts skip more than a single beat but she’d just used them as a phrase – no underlying current in her tone at the time. He gave a subtle nod and adjusted his fatigues… something many Yautja had taken to wearing simply because they kept them warm and many of their bio-mesh suits had been damaged well beyond repair a lot time ago.

He sat down on his bed opposite her… and watched quietly as she poured the clear liquor into two waiting glasses. He took one and she lifted the other slightly… he mimicked her… and was struck by the sudden sadness that was there in her eyes. But she wore a smile… not a real one… but a forced one, trying to hide her pain. She was failing at it… but she was trying. To my war-husband. I wish you all the luck in all the worlds, Dro’khar… I truly do. Her voice held such sincerity that he felt his hearts wilt slightly from the sound of the words. He swallowed and nodded slightly… not being able to find his voice for a moment.

Though… he did find it funny – what she called him. So… he responded in kind, hiding the truth amongst the jest. “And to my war-mate… you deserve nothing but the best. Do not ever forget that.” He dipped his chin slightly at her… she offered up a small, nearly quivering smile and they both took a drink… the harsh home-made liquor burned going down… and the exhale was just as warm. But… she poured herself another one… he saw the slight tremor in her hands. He set his glass down and reached when she lifted hers… he covered it… both blocking the drink and pausing the action at the same time. She closed her eyes and did not fight him when he took the glass from her hands. He slid down to crouch before her… sliding up closer than he’d gotten in… so long. True, on occasion they slept beside one another but that was different. Very… different to what was happening right now. His thoughts were churning… regrets pulling at him… and the fear of the future.

He didn’t want to go back to his life before her… it was a life empty of all the emotions she stirred inside of him. And a large part of him regretted on not acting sooner… regrets over all the time he wasted with her. He purred softly as the space between them grew then… he cupped her cheek gently… always marveling at how he could be so gentle with her and yet his hands had wrought such havoc on his enemies. He felt her hand settle on his jaw… watched as she closed her eyes and how her shoulders fell just a little. Dammit… I’m going to miss you… so much. His brow furrowed as he took in a rough breath… and let his eyes close slowly, savoring her fragrance.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 8 - Chapter 10 -> ⋇

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 8: Advice

Warnings: PTSD to a certain extent, minor PTSD? Yautja PTSD?

Chapter Notes: Meet Ahǂ’zitan, Dro'khar's sire. He's big. He's dark. He's broody. He's an elder. And he knows.

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 7 - Chapter 9 -> ⋇

It had been six months since the incident and every night that he’d been in the township, he’d spent with her. Not with her… but guarding her. They fought endlessly, argued over everything… Ro’han often joked that they could argue over the color of the sky when they were underground. His sire’s unit and theirs had joined forces to take down a rather large hive… and the victory was a worthy one. They celebrated with a feast and the mood was… he hadn’t felt that relieved and that relaxed in a very long time. And even though there were more than thirty Yautja Hunters, Elite and Elder alike, in the immediate vicinity, he still kept her within arms-reach. They were all sitting around a fire, the drink and food flowing freely around… stories of past hunts being told from the Yautja… and comical stories being told from the humans.

Laughter belted out of all of them in response… he’d just taken a swallow of his... well it wasn't exactly ca’mek but it was close - when she’d gotten up and started to leave… it was almost an automatic response at this point – in all honesty… his hand had reached up and behind him, grabbing onto her belt and pulling her back. She stumbled just slight and he adjusted to absorb her weight. She slapped the back of his hand sharply and he just looked up at her with a sort of are you serious look… but there was no offense. More of a… you want to start this now kind of look. “Where are you going.” He’d said the demand quiet but he knew others had heard… those of their unit were used to it… those of his sire’s… were not. To the bathroom, you fucking lecher, now let go. He released her calmly and gave a good-natured smirk, drawing up the rights of his mandibles. She rolled her eyes at him and made an irritated sound but he saw the corner of her mouth quirk upwards in response.

He tore his eyes away from her as she walked off… but, well – as he’d heard some of the human males say about other females from time to time… to watch her go… he gave an appreciative rumble before he took another healthy swallow of his drink, chuckling after something someone said. He felt the weight of a stare and glanced up and around until his eyes locked with those the color of his own… his sire stared at him from across the blazing inferno. It took his drink addled mind a moment to decipher the look in his golden eyes. It wasn’t necessarily anger… but it was concern.

Many had dispersed from the fire… going their separate ways throughout the township – making for their sleeping areas for the night and he was no different. He felt… pleasantly fuzzy… a welcomed change from the tension he’d been feeling for over a year. He trailed behind her by nearly ten feet… scanning the area as they moved out of habit. He heard footfalls come up beside him and glanced over and slightly up… his sire falling into step beside him. He immediately grew… nervous. Something she picked up on almost as fast as the emotion went through him… she looked over her shoulder and he saw her hand settle on the cold steel head of one of her axes… she did it so blatantly obvious – so out in the open that there was a threat in the action itself – her eyes pinned on his sire as she did so. He heard his sire’s deep timbre beside him. Your female is quite protective of you, Dro’khar.

He felt the sting of offense, the wound to his pride. “I can defend myself.” He growled low… watching as she rolled her eyes and focused her attention back onto the road and her path. She’d long since given up sleeping in the human apart mant building. Now… they occupied a small narrow building she called a row-house. It was spartanly furnished but it suited their needs. Of that, I have no doubt. He glanced over, judging his sire’s tone. He watched as she crested the steps to the porch and vanished inside… he paused some feet from the dwelling, having no intention of allowing even his sire inside. Inside that building, there was only his and her scent and he liked it that way. It provided him with a sense of calm that he refused to acknowledge… but… he found that his sire made no move to progress any further, in fact… it was as if he already knew not to approach the entrance to the dwelling. He pointedly looked at the large male. But he wasn’t looking at him… he was looking down at something he’d pulled form his belt. “You obviously want to speak.” He said with a certain tone of impatience.

Ahǂ’zitan nodded… before he offered the small piece of thick paper to his whelp. He watched as Dro’khar took it without thought at first… but upon seeing it… he slowed his movements. As he expected him to. “Her name was Sarah.” He watched as his son tilted the photo into the dim light provided by a distant street lamp… it was enough for their kind to see clearly with. It was an old photograph… it showed a human female and himself… she was beside him on board his old ship… a bright smile on her mature face. Dro’khar looked at him, questions swirling in his eyes. “I had her with me for… three hundred and seventy-two cycles before she was called to the undying lands.” He gently took the photo back, finding no resistance in his son’s now loose hold. He cradled the photo and felt that same sadness well up inside of him at the thought of his precious bond-mate. “I broke with Yautja-Prime to have her with me.” He stated plainly. “It was a different time… and Taike helped me free her and escape with her.” He looked up into the night sky… he took a deep breath, tucking the photo back into his belt, right where he’d kept it since it was taken. I never knew you’d taken a human as your bond-mate. He looked at him with a slight smirking sound. “Few did. Even fewer know it still.” He held his wrist up and tapped a few keys… a holographic representation of his two daughters and one young son flickering to life. He looked at Dro’khar pointedly this time. “I am not ashamed of her… far from it. But because there is still so much prejudice amongst our kind… it is for their protection that I simply do not speak of her.”

Dro’khar’s brow furrowed in minor confusion as he stared at the holographic representation of a clutch of his siblings. They were not unknown to him though he’d never met them – which wasn’t necessarily unheard of, especially for the females and the male looked to be very young still. It took him a few heartbeats to connect the dots and when he did, he jerked his attention back to his sire’s serious look. “You sired pups off her…” He breathed low… his sire taped a button and the holograph was gone… he gave him a slow nod, but he didn’t verbally say one way or the other. Know that many… will not understand. But also know… that none of them truly matter, either. Don’t let your fear poison you against her. He blinked at him but he was already turning away, his sash catching the wind as he moved. We will speak more tomorrow before I leave. If you so wish. He didn’t wait to hear anything else from him… which was good because… he had no idea what to even say to that!

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 7 - Chapter 9 -> ⋇

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 7: Comfort

Warnings: Mentions of what happened in the last chapter but only a little. Dro being kinda... snappy? (Is that a warning? He's Yautja).

Chapter Notes: Super short but it's more like a bridge chapter.

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 6 - Chapter 8 -> ⋇

He returned to the brick building… Rory blanched when he saw him but he quickly regained his composure… Carlos… the man stood up and blocked him on the stairs… he growled low… but the man just asked him did they feel it. He nodded slow and the man vibrated with his anger. Good. Was all he said before he passed him on the stairs… the man returning to his friend at the door.

When he descended down to the basement level… he saw her still in the water… but her hair was down… wet… and clean. He took a deep breath and she looked at him… she sent her eyes over his entire body but she didn’t seem phased. Not really. She seemed… kind of embarrassed.

He pulled his mask off and set it on the bench… and peeled every piece of armor off… his netting… before he stepped down into the warm water. He took a breath that rattled… his quills were all still rigid… his mandibles flared… he was still so… damned keyed up. He hadn’t done what he’d just gone done doing… in many centuries.

His shoulder jumped when he felt her hand… he looked over at her and took a deep breath… bowing his head and shaking it slightly. “I won’t apologize.” I don’t expect you to. He nodded. But he looked at her sharply when he felt her hand on his face… she dipped her hand back into the water… and touched him again… it took him a few heartbeats to realize that she was starting to clean him.

He growled low. “I can clean myself.” He snapped at her. He saw her flinch slightly and he sighed. He was angry. He was angry… at the men though they’d already paid for their crime… he was angry… at himself… because he had left her unprotected. Though… he knew how silly that was. He was angry at her men… they were supposed to help protect her. He turned towards her and bowed his head, settling his brow against hers… his mandibles sagging slightly… he found her hand in the water and lifted it up to his cheek again… purring softly when her fingers touched his stretch.

He stood there… feeling her fingers work his tension away with every soft touch… the tenderness he felt… was… a sharp, stark contrast to the rage that burned in his veins.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 6 - Chapter 8 -> ⋇

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 6: Rage

Warnings: Okay, here goes. Canon-typical violence. Canon-typical Yautja actions. Don't actually describe it but it's very much there. Yautja on human violence.

Chapter Notes: Remember what I said about SA in my chapter notes from the last one? Yeah. And I HC that these dudes kind of just... snap a little. Understandable.

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 5 - Chapter 7 -> ⋇

He stalked down the middle of the road… refusing to slow, refusing to hide himself… he was fury, he was beyond anger… he had never before felt this way. He saw the human’s apart mant coming into clear view… he had his chin lowered… his stance bled aggression. He saw a man rush out the front doors… followed quickly by his young brother. Lewis came up on him but quickly backed a few steps away when he growled at him. Nu’anor grabbed ahold of the man and pulled him behind him, quickly shielding him from his fury. Dro’khar! What the hell!? His brother spoke in Yautjan… no doubt to try and shield his human further. But he didn’t give a fuck. “I want those bas-oomas out here, right now!” He boomed the last few words, jabbing a clawed finger at the building. “Or I am going in there to get them.” He growled the words then. What are you talking about!? Nu’anor was quick to respond, still keeping a protective hand on his male’s shoulder. “The ones responsible. Now.” He shifted his gaze pointedly to Lewis, the usual darkened lenses in his mask flashing a violent orange as he did so.

All the noise he was making was clearly drawing more attention. It wasn’t late, far from it… the sun had only just set an hour ago. People were still well awake and milling around. And many had come to the windows… were looking down at the display unfolding in front of the building. Nu’anor shook his head, still clearly confused. Ro’han’s tenor joined in from the side. Kost. What happened. He growled again and made to go around both Nu’anor and Lewis but felt Ro’han’s hand grab onto his shoulder hard and jerk him back. He rounded on him and struck him in the chest, shoving him off him without a second thought. He was in shoving the doors open hard enough that they rang when they hit the walls behind them… a few screams let out and he let out a series of clicks, drawing in the air… he’d follow her scent. He didn’t need their help!

He was a single-tracked mind as he moved through the lower level… he paused at the stairs and tilted his head before passing them… deeper… to the back… and into the main area where these humans ate their meals. He stepped into their main room and whipped his head to the side suddenly, a deep chested growl rumbling out of him low… his hand snapped out and he grabbed one of the newcomer’s by the throat and hauled him with him into the center of the room… he walked through tables and chairs, not even bothering to move them or kick them out of his way… a few people screamed, more than one fled the room. His chin lifted and his attention snapped to a man who was running towards one of the side exits… he drew his knife and snapped it across the room, pinning him in place by his shirt-collar. He screamed… and the man he had in his grasp uselessly beat on his shoulder. He jerked him into his face. “Tell me who else was involved and I’ll let you live.” He lied… the male shook violently before he spoke with a voice that quivered… the coward. He pointed at another man that was inching his way towards the rear exit. Him! He was the other one! He heard the male cuss and watched as he whipped around to run… he snatched the whip off his hip and within a second, he was hauling the man back towards him, having bound his ankles.

He heard Nu’anor behind him. You’ve lost your damn mind! He tore the rope from his back and threw the male in his hand up and spun him, grabbing him by the ankle… he tied a loop and tossed the rope… he pulled… hauling him up… and secured him in place before he stalked over for the man pinned by the knife. The one he’d just strung up wailing at him. I told you, man, that was all, I swear! He had just strung up the second man and was hauling the third and final man towards him when Ro’han walked in. What the fuck are you doing!? His brother usually didn’t cuss but he apparently felt himself warranted. He pulled the rope, tied it… and had all three men hanging there by their ankles… swinging slightly as they struggled. He shook his head… too furious to speak as he clinched his fists and jerked his arms just slight… his blades snapping out in a shink of metal on metal.

He heard murmurs behind him… and it was clear that the humans, now that it was clear that they weren’t the focus of his apparent attack… had started filtering into the room to see what was going on, nosey assholes that they were. Where the fuck where they when all of this was going down!? Dro’khar! Was’ra’s tenor boomed as he came in the rear exit, his entire demeanor was pure shock… stunned… at the sight. He couldn’t say… he just… the one who’d ratted out the third man started in on his shit again. What the hell man!? I already told you, that was all, I swear it! You said you’d let me live – one of the other men swung at him. You fucking nark! When I get down form here I’m gonna kill you myself! – He roared and silence stretched afterwards. He crouched down and grabbed onto the male who thought he was going to get out of this… he gripped his hair and pulled him forward just enough to get the right angle… he heard Was’ra’s hiss, that male was old enough to know what he was getting ready to do. “You dare… defile… my partner.” He growled, his lenses burning red at him in his rage, his mask’s biomatrix becoming fully locked into his adrenaline and the other chemicals he was currently swimming in. He leaned in further, his tenor growling out low, his sub-vocals thrumming with his anger, his offense… and something more than he didn’t want to acknowledge but that biology was putting there anyway. “My mate.” He saw the man’s eyes widen and heard Was’ra’s low curse. Clearly though, none of the others heard him say those two vital words. Two words that he would ignore, two words that changed everything. He heard Nu’anor’s questioning tone behind him… and Lewis’ follow-up admission. The humans all seemed to go still. He looked up at Was’ra… and the male’s stance had changed. Was’ra looked past him and was clearly looking at his brothers. Get the humans out of here. They don’t need to see this.

Dro’khar reemerged fifteen minutes later… the screams that had come out of that room still echoed in the minds of the humans… but word had spread on what had happened and he knew that many would struggle with his justice – but he didn’t care. His blades still dripping with blood, he could still feel the need for violence running thick in his veins. Was’ra had insisted that he return to Kaia… tend to his partner, but the male had put a different emphasis on the word than the word called for. He didn’t notice and he didn’t care. Was’ra would take care of the cleanup. The humans had all either hidden back into their private dwellings… or were pressing themselves against the hallway to stay out of his way… he was still… so… damned mad. Nu’anor was standing with Lewis at the exit… they were talking quietly. He didn’t stop as he left, even as they both called after him. He heard Ro’han telling them both to leave him alone… that he was… quite literally in a different state of mind right now. He wasn’t wrong.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 5 - Chapter 7 -> ⋇

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 5: Filth

Warnings: Mentions of/insinuation of sexual assault. Descriptions of injuries.

Chapter Notes: So, it's kind of canon but it's mainly HC that Yautja find the whole concept of SA to be so completely foreign. Their females are huge and you absolutely do not fuck with them, do not disrespect them, ever. And SA is about the absolute worst thing ever in their minds. Yes, bad-bloods and all that but I'm talking regular "good" Yautja, like Dro and his bros. So yeah.

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 4 - Chapter 6 -> ⋇

Yautja hated being dirty… they all hated it. And while it wasn’t difficult finding fresh water on this planet, finding private places in their small base to wash was difficult. Yautja weren’t shy but they were private. And it had been days since he’d even removed all of his armor… and the very thought alone made his skin crawl. Usually, he was quick to his watering hole, as he liked to call it. It was a kind of cistern beneath one of the buildings in the village… fed by a spring and he’d reinforced it, ensured it couldn’t be infested. But… tonight he’d been held up with a meeting via coms with his Hunt-Master. His sire’s dear friend, Taike was leading his unit but he more than fifty of their Earth miles away. He had five units beneath him on this rock… his sire’s was almost a hundred miles from his… their meetings always ran long due to the fact that they were always done via visual representation of their written language to keep their intel between them… and only them. He didn’t feel guilty keeping their information secure. It took hours. And he had been held back even longer since Taike had a message from his sire to pass on. It wasn’t anything important in particular, just precautions mostly. Still, it took him longer than the others to make it back to the town.

He knew something had happened as he made his way through the town but he wasn’t sure what. Ro’han’s voice came over his coms though and clued him in. Some of the bas humans challenged the tactical unit tonight. I’m not sure what all has happened, Nu’anor is trying to get more information from his friend but he isn’t talking. He blinked at that, clicking the button on his hip to cloak himself as he moved through town, a common practice whenever they were going to their individual washing locations. “Odd.” Agreed. All the male will say is that they’re still gathering information and that some of their members have gone to ground. Whatever that means. Apparently, it was some of the newcomers that caused an issue with the unit. “Hnn. I never liked them.” Indeed. Nu’anor has decided to stay with Lewis tonight, the male seemed very shaken up by whatever had happened. “That’s probably best. Make sure those bas know that while we may seem separate – we are actually one.” There was a pause before Ro’han came back on the line. Three of the group have left the apart mant building and are somewhere else in the town tonight, Nu’anor got Lewis to say that much so far. “How bad is this.” He knew that humans were capable of doing great harm to one another and he was immediately nervous.

There was another lengthy pause as he rounded the corner, his eyes trained on the dark pavement in front of him. Nu’anor says that Lewis still won’t say what exactly happened but judging by how angry the male looks, I’m going to venture a guess and say that it’s pretty bad. “Was anyone hurt?” No. But Lewis did say that it was in the interest of peaceful cooperation that this incident isn’t being acted upon. I just thought you’d want to know. He nodded but the way he said that… “Why?” Because Kaia is one of the one’s that’s missing. He felt his entire body do one big… tense. Every muscle seemed to go rigid all at once, his mandibles flaring as he let out a low growl. “Understood.” He said the words low just as his eyes flicked up and he saw… he tilted his head slightly… seeing a male standing just outside the building he’d claimed. It was one of their unit. The human was on edge, he could smell his anger from here. He thought about ghosting past him… he scanned the building… and saw no one? He sent his scans below and saw another man sitting on the stairs… and further down still… a smaller heat signature. Kaia. He knew her shape by now, so many months of fighting beside her.

He felt apprehension rolling through him but he disengaged his cloak and appeared in a myriad of blue and white electrical veining not ten feet from the door. The male jumped slightly but saw him… and recognized the symbol etched onto his mask’s deep brow. Dro. Fuck… glad it’s you. He sounded… angry but… also… as if he were hurt though he scented no injuries. She’s downstairs. He nodded only once and walked past him… he moved quietly but not silently… feeling no need to startle the other man. The man outside was Rory… a younger man that was always trailing after Kaia… but he looked at her as if she were his sibling and nothing more. The man on the stairs was Carlos. He looked over his shoulder and up at him… his eyes were red-rimmed and he smelled of saline… it was painfully clear that he’d been shedding tears. The older man was war-weary but this was something different. He was clutching his rifle with hands that shook. He didn’t speak… he stepped down past him and the man just looked back down into the dark… but he was clearly seeing nothing. He wore the look of a man who was doing everything to remain where he was… and not go off and do something stupid.

He felt trepidation starting to roll through him. What… the hell had happened. He rounded the corner and walked slow, seeing her in the cool, clear water… but she looked pale. Her hair was mottled… bloody. She looked over her shoulder suddenly, as if he’d startled her but he knew she had to have heard him… one of her eyes was blood-shot… bruised beneath it… her lower lip was split… and he immediately growled low. He didn’t stop until he was standing beside her boots… she’d kicked them off in a rush. He looked down at them pointedly before he took another step… stepping over them… turning to look down at her pants… which she’d clearly dropped unceremoniously… as if she couldn’t get out of the clothes fast enough. He felt a sinking dread pulling at the bottom of his stomach… he bent down and picked them up… he heard the water ripple as she turned around to face him, but she kept herself hidden, her arms folded over her chest. He started to crouch but also lifted the clothing up at the same time… he didn’t get his face within two feet of it before he threw it down with a deep growl and straightened at the same time. His eyes burned when he looked at her… and she looked away sharply… he saw the middle of her chin tremble. He took a few charging steps towards the pool and stopped just short… his fists were clinched, his claws biting into his palms… his chest rising and falling rapidly as he bent to the side trying to get her to look at him again. He clicked sharply, the sound echoing off the cement walls. He tore his mask off and held it in a white-knuckle grip. He did it again, a wordless command. When she looked at him… he saw the truth in her eyes… and he couldn’t silence the roar that left him. It was bone-deep and filled with his fury. He had pitched his chin up and let it out, eyes closed… before he turned around sharply. Dro’khar… don’t… he heard her call after him but he was already on the stairs, already past the man… already on the street. His mask slapped back on with a resounding metallic sound.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 4 - Chapter 6 -> ⋇

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 4: Distraction

Warnings: Canon typical alien fighting.

Chapter Notes: Just a little interlude.

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 3 - Chapter 5 -> ⋇

The small hive Ja’ru had located was a welcomed distraction from the thoughts that had plagued Dro’khar since he’d spied on Nu’anor and Lewis’ discussion. He could complain as much as he wanted but at the end of the day, he had to admit that this team of theirs did work well together. And… whether he liked it or not – Kaia and himself always seemed to understand one another when they were trenched in silence and the need for such communications was required. Such as it was when they were silently making their way through the slick, black, disgusting tunnels these creatures built. Dro’khar moved with lethal grace, as did all of his kind. Mindful of each footfall, constantly scanning the environment. His senses on high alert, his entire body at the ready, honed after generations of his kin to hunt the very thing that had infested this planet. And… Kaia hadn’t been wrong in her astute observations. He resisted the urge to shake his head to rid it of the errant thought. He could not afford such distracting thoughts to breach his focus.

The first drones they had encountered at the entrance had gone down relatively easily. A slight disappointment to him and his brothers. But the ones that ambushed them in the tunnels had put up more of a fight. That was one of the things they had noticed of the kainde amedha that they had encountered on this planet-wide hunt. Some of them, though not all, were faster. Larger. Smarter. Harder to kill. And their behavior was odd. Odd in that, once their unit managed to dispatch those in the tunnels and they made it to the inner most chamber, where they should find eggs. Where they should find a queen. They found only this hive’s strongest drones. If he didn’t know better, he’d say it was an arena, the way the room had been dug out of the earth. He had shrugged at some point, lifting his large shoulder and thinking, at least they had room to fight. And fight they did.

Dro’khar’s arm came up, blades blocking a jarring attempt to impale him on one of the creature’s spiked tails. He threw it away with a grunt, driving his kombi forth in a devastating strike a heartbeat later. The drone screeched in obvious pain but did not slow its attack. Not yet. Too few wounds thus far. He spun, aiming to keep moving, to remain still was to die – he could hear his sire’s steadfast words in his mind. The area, though large enough for hand to hand, was too small for the use of their plasma-casters. The creature lunged for him, its spindly claws open wide, aiming to grapple him to the ground no doubt. He didn’t give it the chance. He swung his kombi around, drove one of the lethal ends up at the exact moment, judging the creature’s trajectory in less than a second. It pierced what would be considered its chin and appeared out the top of its sickly domed skull. He threw it to the side with a heave, jerking his weapon free a moment later. He couldn’t even remember how many kills that was for him at this point. He hadn’t the time to relish in the victory now, that would be for later.

He turned, eyes scanning, searching, finding. Kaia was keeping a drone at bay, the creature missing a large chunk out of its dome, but not enough to kill it. Not yet. Everything hunter in him screamed to leave her to it. But in a moment that seemed to stretch, the drone lunged, its claws sinking into her arm, her voice catching, and when Dro’khar’s vision cleared, he was standing behind her, his kombi extended past her shoulder and into the creature’s mouth, coming out the other side of it. I had it. She growled at him. He looked down at her through his mask and did nothing more than offer up a few clicks of his mandibles. It wasn’t the first time he’d stepped in. It was, however, the first time she didn’t truly require a save. He jerked his kombi free and shook his mane out with another clack of his tusks. He knew better than to interfere. They all did. But the lines were blurring and their code was changing the longer they were here. The longer they fought beside these humans. Where these hunts weren’t really hunts. They were exterminations. They were eradications. They weren’t for glory or honor. They were a sort of appeasement. An apology. Recompense. The nest was empty. They were done there. And he was pleased for the distraction… not so pleased when they returned to the town.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 3 - Chapter 5 -> ⋇

Yautja Words:

kainde amedha = Hard Meat, their word for xenomorphs, aliens. Creepy crawlies.

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 3: Curiosity

Warnings: Mentions of death of a spouse. Men discussing periods (is that a warning?). Mentions of mating season pressure?

Chapter Notes: HC on the whole mating season pressure thing.

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 2 - Chapter 4 -> ⋇

Dro’khar tucked what happened in the woods away in his memory – pushing it down deep, never to be revisited if he had any choice in the matter! He ignored his brother’s click of question when he returned, shaking his head with a scoff and throwing a hand out indicating his frustration. But he didn’t draw too near to him or any of the other Yautja for that matter. It’d take at least an hour for his musk to dissipate entirely around him and he didn’t want them to catch wind of it. They ended their training when the sun was starting to set, their whole group making for their camp… which was part of a small township that had long since been emptied of its original inhabitants. And while many of the humans opted to sleep inside one of the red brick buildings… his group camped on the rooftops unless it was raining… then they ducked under the tarps that they had strung up. It wasn’t where they were every night – it was simply their base of sorts.

There were other humans in the town that didn’t belong to their tactical unit – as the humans tended to call their collective teams. Some… he didn’t mind so much, they looked at his men with a certain kindness but still were standoffish yet… respectful. Others… were still suspicious and then there were even some that their human counterparts had to run interference with… who would rant about them whenever they fell too far into despair – usually whenever they lost people to the serpents. While he wasn’t typically the kind of male to manipulate one of the men he served with… he wasn’t above it – from time to time to save his own embarrassment. Nu’anor could always be counted on for his incessant curiosity and his oddly friendly relationship with one of the men in the human group.

He was sitting atop the low wall on the roof, looking out over the darkened buildings when he mumbled something under his breath… his younger brother questioning him on what he said prompted him to take in a deep breath and repeat it, almost wistfully. “It’ll be mating season again soon…” There were a few random clicks from their group… some of the males were just as pent up as he was if not more while Ro’han was nearing his Elder years – he found little use for mating and Nu’anor… well… he had never known the rite – having passed his chiva right here on Earth during this war. He tilted his head slightly and feigned curiosity. “I wonder… do human females go into season?” He looked up at the sky thoughtfully… a sort of frown tugging at his mandibles. Nu’anor gave a shrug. I don’t think so. Otherwise – there wouldn’t be nearly as many of them. He nodded. “This is true.” He left it at that though he saw the seed of curiosity planted… and when his brother left their group to go on patrol with his human partner… he discretely slipped away and clicked on his cloaking… and followed, keeping to the rooftops and only close enough to be within hearing distance… which was quite a ways for Yautja.

Nu’anor didn’t take long to breech the subject with his partner – something he’d always found was oddly refreshing – that his brother could ask this man anything and yet… something he wasn’t entirely fond of… his brother also answered freely almost any question asked of him. Though, the man had never pointedly asked after the serpents or their origins. Lewis?

The man glanced over at the young Yautja beside him… though they aged at entirely different rates, if one were to compare, this man was more mature than Nu’anor. Hmm?

N’manor seemed to clear his throat for a moment, checking a few of the nearby sensors. Do human females go into season?

Lewis coughed out of sheer shock before clearing his throat. Uh… no. It’s uh… ahem…

Nu’anor didn’t seem to notice the man’s instant discomfort with the topic. Yautja females have a season. Once a year, they are fertile and they all expect the males to return from their hunts, present their trophies. It is a very… intense time, I’m told.

Lewis nodded but was looking out over the darkened streets once more. Only once a year? He’d looked up at his friend and felt… damn. Wow. I’d… just… damn. I think I’d go insane if I could only fuck once a year. They shared a sort of chuckle over that. But no, our women are different. They’re fertile once a month.

Nu’anor jerked to the side, stopping dead in the street to openly gawk at the man. Once a month! Paya! He faked a swoon. How do the males stand it!

Lewis chuckled. I am a male and I stand it just fine. But I’m guess it’s because we don’t really know when they’re… ya know… fertile. But we most definitely know when they aren’t.

Nu’anor clicked rapidly, still shaking his head. I think I’m dizzy just thinking about it. Wait – how can you know one but not the other?

Lewis waved his young friend off with another chuckle. Women have a period. It’s like… a week or so each month where, if they don’t get knocked up… eer… pregnant, then their bodies kind of reset. Like, a kind of try it again situation. They bleed for about a week and they so don’t want to be touched – it’s a very big sign that they aren’t… ya know, fertile.

Nu’anor gawked again. They bleed for a whole week!? How do they not die?!

Lewis had to cover his mouth for the force of his laughter before he pointed at his friend. I know, right?! That’s what we’ve been trying to figure out for eons! How the hell can someone bleed for seven days and not fucking die?! And damn, they get so moody! Say the wrong thing and look out! He snapped out in the air. You could be getting an asswhoopin’ for even speaking too loud or… picking up the wrong kind of milk at the store. He chuckled but quieted as a certain sad look went over his face. That’s how June would get, anyway. She’d… ya know, get really cranky but I didn’t take it too hard. I mean, it hurts them. Bleedin’ like that. Where they carry babies? It’s one big muscle and it kind of goes into a constant clinching for that week… that’s enough to make anyone pissy.

Nu’anor had been chittering his amusement but quieted when he saw his friend grow saddened… he could see his heartbreak clear. It was something he’d seen before, on a few of the Elder’s faces whenever they’d spoken of their bond-mates who had passed onto the undying lands. He’d said before that his wife, June, and him had been married for almost twenty years. They had no pups but that was because something had gone wrong with his… well, he couldn’t have kids. But she stayed with him anyway. He gave a subtle nod. I get a cramp in my leg and I get… pissy. He gestured downward and the man smirked again, his humor returning. Which was the point.

Lewis rolled his eyes. Bull – I don’t think you’d even feel a cramp in your leg. He had to cover his mouth again as his laughter rolled through him for the young Yautja had started hopping, feigning a cramp.

Dro’khar’s eyes had flared when heard the human male’s divulgence that not only do human females go into a period of fertility… but that they did so once a month! And his brother, bless him… he asked the question that immediately went through him – how the hell did human males stand it?! But he listened further… and gleaned more information. Plus… he also saw how his brother preened for the male. He rolled his eyes and wanted to chastise his brother for his attempts… wanted to tell him that he was clearly barking up the wrong tree but… he also saw the way the human man’s cheeks reddened at the display… so… maybe… he wasn’t wasting his time. He knew his young brother was… different but he also knew that none of them would fault him for it. No Yautja was ever shamed for their preference in partners. However… should Nu’anor refuse to partake in the mating season when they returned? That would be a different story all together. Now, though… he was left with a massive problem. Every. Single. Month. She’d smell as she did today. He’d never noticed before because he’d never been that close to her before. Not like that. Not without the stink of blood and battle wafting around them. But now that he knew what she smelled like… now that his stupid male brain knew that she smelled so damned… sweet… he knew he’d have trouble remembering not to breath her in deeply every chance he got.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 2 - Chapter 4 -> ⋇

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 2: Training

Warnings: Canon typical violence (actually, it's a little tame for canon so maybe, non-canon typical violence?).

Chapter Notes: Dro'khar and Kaia sittin' in a tree - Ro'han, probably.

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 1 - Chapter 3 -> ⋇

The next day, they stood in the field… all of them together. Ro’han’s tenor was clear and concise, him being the best trainer and the most knowledgeable of the human’s firearms. All of the humans surviving on the planet had been gifted with translators so the language barrier was nonexistent. And because Ro’han was still sour over the fact that it had been his choice to train the humans… he was paired with her. Kaia. Which was doubly frustrating… because she was a piss-poor shot in comparison to what he was used to. He sighed again, watching her target go unstruck… again. “You aren’t even trying at this point.” He ground out… ignoring the chittering chuckle of his brother nearby. Ro’han would pay for this… one way or another – he’d pay.

He watched the female lower the rifle and shake her head with a disapproving look on her face. I’ve always hated guns. It was his turn to scoff. “Well, you can’t ask the hard-meat to just walk away.” He gestured lazily off to the side and weathered her annoyed look as she set the rifle down and let it lean against the impromptu pyramids of other guns. I didn’t say that was the answer. “Or maybe you’d rather stare at them long enough and hope they leave you alone.” She narrowed her eyes at him before she tugged the weapons off her belt… he’d never paid them much attention for they looked like utilitarian tools more than weapons. They were some kind of hatchet, he wasn’t sure – the Yautja didn’t use them. She had two of them… she held them by the handles and gave them a slight toss, adjusting her grip. Guns are unreliable. She muttered low, garnering a scoff from him and a chuckle from a nearby human male in her group. There she goes again. The male said with a certain amount of mirth in his tone. There was another man who chuckled and shook his head before he started retraining his cite. “And what are you going to do with those then? Chop at them? Hope they bleed all over—” His voice died in his throat as he went still… he felt his brother at his back do the same… and he heard more than one man in her group chuckle again.

She had shot him a hard look before she flung those hatchets of hers… they sung as they went through the air at speeds that shocked the hell out of him, as the humans liked to say. She didn’t make a sound when she threw them… no grunt of exertion, nothing. She threw one and then the other with her other hand… a thunk-thunk sounded as they embedded themselves in the wooden logs that hung in the trees, the targets that they’d hung for the humans to practice with. One log swung so violently that it went sailing into the woods and the other wrapped itself over the limb it hung from twice over- it had been hit with such force. He swallowed against the tension that was settled in his chest… before he looked at her. She… was looking at him pointedly before she started for the woods and her weapons. He followed, a half step behind… it was an unspoken rule – no one went anywhere alone. Not even the Yautja. He ignored the chittering from Nu’anor behind him and scanned the trees slowly… hearing her tug the first hatchet free. She slid it down into her belt and continued in once he nodded… again, an unspoken rule of sorts. He followed… she located the log after a few moments and he took the time to study her covertly. But she felt his gaze.

She readjusted her grip on the worn wooden handle of her weapon and plucked at the edge of the wedged blade. You assholes won’t ever learn, will you? He kicked his chin back slightly, squaring off towards her. She had her hair up today… she kept the sides shaved, for whatever reason… but she had markings there on her skin. They were intricate inked lines that tied themselves into oddly beautiful designs that were reminiscent of fantastical creatures… the rest of her hair was left to grow long and she had it plaited over her crown and into a thick braid that fell down her back. “And what is it that you think you could possible teach me?” He growled low, his hands resting on his belt, his stance going on guard. She shook her head at him, facing him more pointedly. You guys show up here… thinking you know more, that you’re… superior. She nearly spat the word out as if it tasted bad. Funny how your numbers started to fall the longer you were here. Funny… how you are only skilled at fighting these things for short stretches. He growled low, taking a step towards her and resuming his stance. But put you against them for more than a week and you guys start dropping no better than us. He growled again. You can growl all you want and it won’t change a fucking thing. She snapped the hatchet back down into her belt with a lot of sass. I’ve seen you guys fight when you lose that thing. She had the gall to reach up and slap at his plasma-canon on his shoulder. You’re impressive, no doubt about it. But your efficacy drops dramatically. He narrowed his eyes at her behind his mask, shifting his weight and clinching his fists, tightening his hold on his belt; forcing himself to remember that he couldn’t hit this female lest he risk their group’s truce.

He reached up slow and pulled his mask off, baring his face… few of the Yautja had done such a thing and none in his group thus far to these humans. But it didn’t seem to faze her… her eyes bored into his and he saw the anger there. His mandibles flared slightly in his own anger, his own offense. He took a step towards her and she didn’t even have the sense to retreat… his chin was aimed towards his chest as he looked down at her… her chest almost brushing against him they were so close… the air seemed to crackle between them as the tension climbed. “We seek to educate a floundering species so that you may save yourselves from extinction… and you dare challenge my skill.” He said the words low and there was an undercurrent of his anger in them. She narrowed her eyes at his words… and he saw the way her nostrils flared slightly. The subtle nuances that were oddly easy to read in her human face. Save ourselves from your kind’s hubris, you mean. His eyes flared slightly… true, it was known that many suspected them… but he wasn’t aware that this group was part of that thinking. You think us so stupid… that we wouldn’t notice how… specialized your fighting style was? That… we wouldn’t recognize the similarities between you and the monsters that have destroyed our world? His mandibles flared wider at that. He hissed low, a reverberation that left his chest… and it seemed to only anger her instead of scare her. The rest of them may not see it. But I do. I fight because I have no choice… not because I value your aid nor your expertise. She hissed the last few words, giving him a scathing look before she turned away so fast that her braid smacked against him… he felt the heavy metal beads she wore in her hair that were not unlike his own adornments. And he also felt his temper flare.

His hand snapped out and gripped that thick cord of hair, tugging her back to him before she could walk away. “Ungrateful ooman.” He hissed the final word but he wasn’t prepared for her retaliation, not at all. Before he even realized it… he was engaged in hand-to-hand with her… and she was far quicker than he thought possible. She was also silent as she moved… again… no grunts of exertion, no words… just cold, calculated moves that stung each time she struck home. Which she did far more than he thought possible… he blocked and parried, he tried to land blow after blow and failed… which only served to anger him even more. She utilized the trees, the logs, the forest around her… running up one tree nearly up to his shoulder before turning on him… her lithe body twisting around in mid-air as she brought down her entire body weight on a single fist that snapped across his jaw. His head swung around with the blow… his mandibles bloomed with a sudden pain and it took all of his willpower to remain silent, his dreads slapping around his face before he spun, kicking low and sweeping her feet out from under her.

Finally, he felt contact… he heard her hit hard… the woosh of the air leaving her lungs… and he wasted no time pinning her down. He had her slender wrists in his hands, his grip was harsh but not crushing though he wanted to squeeze harder… his weight set to his knuckles as he hovered over her… some his weight set to her hips… keeping her beneath him. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, it appeared she’d quickly regained her breath… his hearts were pounding and his mandibles were swaying in and out in his increased aggression. Her brows were low, anger snapping in her eyes, making the blue of them even crisper. His jaw still hurt… and he knew it would bruise if he didn’t treat it. The fact that she’d successfully injured him and he’d yet to mark her at all stung his pride… and wounded his ego. Not because she was female… but because she was this small, little thing… this prey. Her cheeks were flushed… his gaze raked over her… he could smell her sweat… her unique fragrance wafting in the air around him. A million things pushed against him, angry quips, things to cut her down… but none would leave him. He could feel her pulse pounding against his palms… he could feel her muscles coiled beneath him… she was… fierce in her stubbornness. A trait that he found that he oddly admired… to a certain extent.

The sound left him low… and shocked the hell out of him… it was a slow rhythm of clicks that emanated from the back of his throat… a purely male Yautja sound. And it wasn’t one of anger. Or rage. Or even challenge. It served an entirely different purpose… and he saw her skin pebble in small tiny bumps because of it. He’d been on this Paya-forsaken rock for over ten months. And for eight of those, he’d dealt with this human… this stubborn, infuriating female. His shoulders pitched as he lowered himself down, drawing closer to her… his tusks barely grazing her cheeks before his lower set ran down the sides of her throat. Another low rumble left him… and he felt his groin tightening… he drew in a deep breath… and swayed slightly. Did… did human females go into season? His brow furrowed in question… his teeth clicking together a few times as he pulled in another deep breath, dragging the air over his olfactory, tasting every bit of it. A shiver raced down his spine… the quills there all gave a tremble. She damn sure smelled like she was… very… fertile. He felt the way his skin around his neck and wrists… around his waist and up the center of his chest started to tingle and warm… his dai’shui started to seep out of him and there was nothing he could do about it. He saw the way her eyes fluttered for a moment… before she took in a deeper… huskier breath. She was… most definitely in season, if she was responding to that. He tilted his head slow… feeling her soft skin give just enough beneath his tusks to elicit another click of his teeth. This was bad… this was… so very…-- Dro’khar, you guys get lost in there? The sound of Ro’han’s voice filtered in through his com device there by his ear in his dreads… he felt every joint in his body lock as it seemed to jar him loose of whatever the hell had started to wrap around his mind. He saw that it did the same to her. He reared back and nearly leapt off of her, staggering back a few steps before he took a deep, cleansing breath and quickly slapped his mask back on, fumbling with the leads for a brief moment, his hand shaking just a little – just enough to give away the fact that he was jarred by what had just happened between them. “Found her weapon. Returning now.” He growled the words out with frustration… though the frustration was from a few sources now, one more than it had been before. He saw her climb to her feet just as quickly as he had, adjusting her clothes with jerky movements… and give him a strange, guarded look before she stalked ahead of him and aimed for the field once more.

⋇ Master List ⋇ <- Chapter 1 - Chapter 3 -> ⋇

Yautja Words:

ooman = human. Obvs.

dai'shui = musk. BO. Body Odor. The stank. (but in my HC, they smell less like mole and more like cinnamon).

Paya = One of their Goddesses, the Conquering Warrior. This is one of their "positive" gods.

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 1: Dogs

Warnings: None really.

Chapter Notes: Meet the team. Short chapter, the next one is pretty long. And... while the paragraphs look normal in word, they look crazy long on tumblr. Just so ya know what to expect throughout the whole fic. Oh, and before anyone blows a head gasket - <- see that? That's a dash (actually a hyphen but we call it a dash) and people use them and in word, when you do, it auto-formats it into an en dash. Deal.

Synopsis: It's happened before and it'll happen again. Young blood thinking they know better than their elders meets poorly guarded eggs equals planet-wide chaos. Just so happened that this time, the planet was Earth. Just so happened that this time, it wasn't just one egg. What began as a clean up ended up being a bid to save the entire planet and what little was left on it. When Yautja and human have to work together to finish the job, there's bound to be some interesting interactions.

⋇ Master List ⋇ Chapter 2 -> ⋇

Dro’khar looked down the war-torn road at the small group of humans that huddled not so differently than their distant ancestors did around their fire. Ro’han’s tenor rumbled out around a mouthful of their hard-earned dinner. Like a pack of huddling rats. He shook his head slightly, tucking a piece of meat between his teeth, using a tusk to further ensure it didn’t escape… finding – and not for the first time – his yellow eyes lock with a set of ones the color of this planet’s skies. The female called ‘Kaia’ stared back at him hard, in open challenge as she tucked some of her own food into her cheek, rolling it between her molars in a way that could only be seen as cocky, even going so far as to kick her chin in his direction. His mandibles flared slightly at the gall. “More like dogs.” He listed off another pack animal indigenous to this planet. Nu’anor chittered out a low chuckle as he continued to clean his kombi without even looking up. Was’ra ignored them entirely, instead content to keep his watch… and Ja’ru decided that none of them were worth his time.

The great serpent battle had been raging for almost an entire orbit of this planet around this system’s star. But they were stemming the tide… it had taken their combined forces… but they were stemming the tide. When the Yautja first landed, following the foolish unblooded who’d broken all the covenants and stolen the eggs… seeded this planet in their forbidden attempt to surpass their elders… the humans had been fighting this war on their own for months. A surprising number of them had held out and remained uninfected. But their numbers were vastly reduced… and many of their indigenous wildlife were likewise killed off. For months following, they’d fought in parallel but not exactly working together… and small pockets on both sides routinely fought against one another… with very few actively working with one another. It was only when the High Elders decreed that their hunting parties be consciously paired with the remaining groups of humanity that their attacks proved truly fruitful at quelling the serpent presence. That stung. He openly admitted that it had stung. But it didn’t sting half as much as working with this group did.

The humans died so frequently that their groups were constantly restructured and shuffled… the first group they’d been paired with wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t great and they were wholly inexperienced but they weren’t a complete loss. This group? While they were battle hardened and many were impressively skilled and once… they would have made worthy prey… now they – like so many remaining humans – were either too broken by the horrors they’d faced… or too hardened by them. And many had figured out that the serpents were of their making. But while they, on the whole, were at least civil… there was one that rubbed him the wrong way. And he, likewise, seemed to chafe her as well. It wasn’t a sexist thing – a term he had learned only upon working with the humans… for it was a concept foreign to the Yautja – it was simply that she and he? They were as oil and water or serpent and Yautja. They simply did not get along. They fought endlessly… and yet… whenever the firing would stop… he’d always find himself within arm’s reach of her. No matter where they were… their groups would card themselves together – without thought. Though, they’d quickly separate again. You sure you want to start training them tomorrow? He gave a curt nod. They weren’t terrible shots… but their primitive weapons still used ammunition and it was becoming increasingly hard to find. “We don’t have much choice.” Was’ra grunted in both agreement and displeasure over the prospect. And as usual… both he… and she… took first watch. They guarded much as the first fighters did in this war… in parallel. But not together.

⋇ Master List ⋇ Chapter 2 -> ⋇